U-2s became operational in 1957 and still perform an important role in strategic reconnaisance today. On May 1, 1960 a U-2 piloted by Francis Gary Powers was shot down while overflying the Soviet Union photographing ICBM sites. Powers had taken off at Badaber near Peshawar, then West Pakistan, and was to have landed in Bodo, Norway. In 1966, while en route support deploying to Southeast Asia I saw a U-2 land at Hickam AFB, Honolulu, Hawaii. Later that day I had to go the local Life Support Shop for something, and as I entered a side entrance, I was face to face with the U-2 I had earlier seen land. A full pressure suit, similar to the ones astronauts wear, was hanging nearby. I was kind of shocked. What I hadn't realized was that both hangar doors were guarded, but not the side entrance. Everything about this aircraft was still classified top secret, a clearance I didn't have. The aircraft shown here appears to be either a U-2R or U-2S, much larger than the original model. The rearview mirror, mounted on the left side of the cockpit allows the pilot to check his contrails while flying at high altitude. Statistics: Lenght: 63-ft. (19.2m) Wingspan: 103-ft. (31.4m) Height: 16-ft. (4.8m) Weight: Empty: 10,000-lb (4,535kg) Max T/O: 40,000-lb (18,144kg) Performanc: Max Speed: 430mph (693km/h) Power Plant: One Pratt&Whitney J75-PW-13B turbojet Thrust: 17,000lb Endurance; 12 hrs. The U-2 is still the backbone of US tactical reconnaisance and can carry a variety of cameras and electronic surveillance equipment to an altitude of 90,000-ft. (27,430m). [Source: Jane's Aircraft Recognition Guide, 1995]. U-2s also provide imagery for commercial consumption. While working for the AZ Dept. of Water Resources we purchased color infrared imagery to verify claimed water uses. This imagery was flown at 72,000-ft. U-2s can be equipped with an optical, side-looking lens mounted in the nose that allows for oblique, side-looking imagery. The lens diameter is nearly as big as the nose's diameter. Here is some information I have read (but I can't remember where) that an image taken by an U-2 from 400 miles distance of an object the size of a golf ball can be identified by a skilled airphoto interpreter. Here is another bit of information, gossip by a number of people that claimed to know, or have heard about it, that when the U-2 was tested to its limits as far as altitude is concerned, it flew so high, that when it turned, one wingtip exceeded the speed of sound, while the other wingtip was at stallspeed causing the aircraft to break up. I don't know how true this is and I don't know how high an aircraft has to fly for this to happen. This picture was taken at Nellis AFB, Las Vegas, NV in April 1997 and later scanned. Thank you for viewing and commenting on my uploads, Sig...